Something Cliché
by MeaningOfLife42
Summary: It's Valentines Day and Lily's date seems to be boringly original, but with the Marauders close by how predectable can things really be? L/J Marauder era


**Writing the start of this in school is exceptionally funny when a group of guys decide to read over your shoulder. Silly People, they just have no idea what they're getting into... :D This one's a long one because we love you people :D**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Something Cliché**

Lily groaned as a persistent tapping sound interrupted her Saturday morning slumber. She glanced at her alarm. 4a.m! She would kill the idiot who decided to wake her at this ungodly hour, reluctantly she rolled out of bed to find the source of the noise. There at her window was an owl, constantly tapping to get her attention. She stumbled to the window, throwing it open to allow the owl to enter. It flew gracefully in and perched on the end of her bed. She yawned, noticing how the other girls in her dorm hadn't seemed to notice the incessant noise and were still deep asleep.

He eyes returned to the owl, finally recognising the handsome features of the owl. It belonged to Simon. She cursed under her breath. She pulled the note off the owl's leg and unrolled the parchment.

_Lily, Meet me in the entrance hall at 11am sharp. Remember to dress nice! Love Simon._

_xXxX PS Happy Valentine's Day_

She groaned, why on earth would he send her the owl at 4am!?! Couldn't he have asked her yesterday? She scribbled yes on the back and sent the owl off again. She sighed as she looked around the room. She would never get back to sleep now. She grabbed her stuff and ambled towards the showers while yawning heavily. Stupid Idiot, she thought closing the door behind her.

* * *

20 minutes later she was showered and ready for the day. She was dressed casually in jeans and her favourite band t-shirt, deciding not to make much of an effort and sprucing herself up later if need be. Sighing again she wandered down the stairs to the Common Room. She had to smile at the sight that greeted her. The Marauders were, in the loosest sense of the word, sprawled across the floor. Over the past months she and the Marauders had become closer, they had become more mature and she had become more understanding of the humour behind their pranks.

Her gaze drifted to James, the way his hair fell messily over his eyes. She forced herself to resist the urge to brush it back. Along with the Marauders, her opinion of him had changed drastically. Something had changed over the holidays, after spending Christmas with them due to her sisters unwillingness to have her home, she appreciated their light hearted pranks and the way they had kept her mind off other things and all in all had made her feel proud to be a witch.

Smiling mischievously, to herself, she decided to play a prank of her own. Grinning at the brilliance of her plan, she swiftly tiptoed back to her room for a quill and her wand.

"James…James…Wake up." Lily gently shook him awake, "You and the others need to get back to your dorms." He groaned and rolled over, unfortunately, off the sofa.

"Ouch…5 more minutes mum…I was having a really nice dream…apart from Sirius being all annoying and stealing all my Lilies." Lily stifled a giggle.

"Oh really," She laughed, "If I was your mum, you'd be awfully disappointed." This seemed to wake him up.

"Oh, Morning Lily…Ummm…What's the time?"

"About 6am, an idiot owled me at 4 asking me on a date but I can't get back to sleep. I thought you'd appreciate the wake up call before everyone comes down. Wouldn't want someone to get revenge for a prank you've played."

"Oh, Thanks. That's really kind of you." He rolled over until he bumped into Sirius sprawled in front of the dying embers. "Oi mate, get up. I need you to carry me to the dorms." James said, rolling over dramatically and whacking Sirius in the side of the head, which wasn't surprising since he still had his eyes closed.

"Awwwww...5 more minutes Mum…I was having a really nice dream…I stole all James' Lilies, he was awfully angry."

"If I was your mum, you'd be a bit confused." James mumbled in a sleepy haze.

"What is it with you boys and your mums?" Lily whispered loudly. By this time Remus and Peter had woken up.

"It's perfectly normal Lily," Remus answered for them, "With the amount of times these guys have called me mum, I'm surprised that…well…I'm just surprised." He slowly opened his eyes and his gaze drifted to the writing sprawled across James and Sirius' heads. His mouth hung open and Lily frantically gestured for him not to say a word. He grinned, catching his scribble-less forehead in a nearby suit of armour and winked at Lily, "Come on gents, let's get you to bed."

"Oh Remus," James declared, "I didn't think it would be like you to take advantage of us in our sleep."

"All part of the plan my dears, come on, bye Lily." He supported James into a standing position while Peter stumbled under Sirius' weight. It was a good job they took a while to wake up, it helped that they hadn't gone to bed before 1am anyway.

"Bye boys." Lily waved them off, still laughing to herself. _This could prove to be interesting_ she thought.

* * *

4 hours later, Lily was sitting on the sofa writing a transfiguration essay, trying to ignore the couples around her lost in their own worlds…or each others.

She looked down at the words in front of her, realising she had been doodling all over her parchment, lost in thought. She threw the parchment into the flames before her, watching the hearts with James written in disappear into the flames. She sighed. This wasn't good.

Suddenly, she heard a crash and a yelp from the Marauders dorm. She started laughing, falling back onto the sofa, previous thoughts forgotten.

A shout came down from the dorm. "Lily Evans…You are so going to pay for this!"

"And that's my cue to leave." She mumbled, jumping up from the sofa and retreating towards the portrait hole. There was a thunder of footsteps, a squeak and the sound of James and Sirius tumbling down the stairs. Remus and Peter followed, looking slightly sheepish. "Oops." Remus smiled, "I would run now Lily."

She needed no further invitation. Pushing open the portrait hole, she started running down the corridor. Hearing the sound of the Marauders behind her she knew she didn't have long. Their being on the Quidditch team didn't help her escape. She took as many different shortcuts as she could, hoping to evade them, unfortunately, they were never far behind. She reached the bottom of the stairs, leading into the Great Hall, as they reached the top. She spotted Simon waiting by the doors.

"Lily, what's happening? Why are you out of breath?"

"…Just…Marauders…Prank...Chasing…" She gasped, leaning on his shoulder to support herself. She could hardly stand up from the running and laughing. The sight of the Marauders arriving at the top of the stairs just sent her over the edge. She heard them send a spell her way before she collapsed to the floor in giggles. Jets of water flew over her head, soaking Simon, who was standing behind her. She looked up, looking shocked for a second before laughing even harder. "You missed me!" she yelled through her giggles. By this time the Marauders had reached the bottom of the stairs.

Unfortunately for them, the racket had caused the late-breakfasters to come out of the Hall to see what was happening. The Marauders closed in around her, "Don't even think about it." She said. The mischievous glint in their eyes told her she was fighting a losing battle. She struggled to her feet through the giggles and slippery floor, drawing her wand. "If anything happens to me, whatever happens as a result you have brought upon yourselves."

"You forget who you're talking to, my dear Lily." Sirius grinned.

"I believe it is you who have grossly underestimated me, my dear Sirius." She struggled to keep a straight face as her eyes drifted back to the letters written on his and James' foreheads. 'Kiss Me Quick' and 'Take Me, I'm Yours' were in capital, flashing letters, across their heads. Written in a special charm only she could undo.

The two boys raised their wands in unison. "Don't say I didn't warn you." She yelled as jets of water flew at her. She was too slow to move and was drenched in seconds. A few seconds later, she was stood there, dripping wet with a malicious gleam in her eyes. "Fine then, if that's how you want to play it." She flicked her wand and a loud bang echoed around the hallway. Hundreds of multicoloured leaflets filled the air, spiralling into the stunned crowd.

"Ha!" Sirius laughed. "Is that the best you can do?" A scream sounded from the crowd. Suddenly, almost every girl in the vicinity had their eyes trained on the Marauders. Remus snatched a leaflet out of the air. Reading it out loud:

_**Xx Valentine's Day Special! xX**_

'_**If you can catch them, You can kiss them!'**_

_**James Potter and Sirius Black have volunteered to participate in a special game in honour of this special day.**_

_**Go get 'em Girls!!!!!**_

"Uhh guys…I think you ought to run." No sooner had he said it than a large mob of girls had separated from the crowd, heading towards them. Lily could hardly see from the tears streaming down her face. Remus and Peter looked around. The other two had disappeared. Remus assumed they had headed towards the tower due to the direction in which the mob was heading. "You are one sly girl, Lily Evans." Remus grinned before turning on his heel and wandering after the mob.

Lily then turned to Simon. "Shall we?" She said, muttering a quick spell to dry them off. She headed out the door, leaving a stunned Simon to only stare as he quickly followed after her.

* * *

After Simon had caught up with her he took her hand and led her towards Hogsmeade. They walked in silence, whether through lack of things to talk about or shock of what had happened earlier, neither really knew.

Simon dragged Lily to Madam Puddifoot's, an explosion of pink in the high street. The steamy teashop was packed with couples, staring into each others eyes and sharing ice-cream sundaes.

Lily took one look around the place and wondered what it was about guys that made them assume that all girls had a thing for pink decorations and colourful paper hearts on Valentines Day.

Dragging her to a table in the corner Simon ordered a large Bertie Botts sundae and two mugs of hot chocolate. One with extra squirty cream and marshmallows, at which Lily's eyes lit up, maybe he did know her well after all, and the other fat free. Strange she thought I really didn't have Simon down as the type to watch his weight. He smiled sheepishly at her. "I took the liberty of ordering you a fat free hot chocolate" Her eyes opened in shock and she was about to say something when a loud bark-like laugh came from the kitchen.

While she was distracted, Simon changed the subject. "So, Lily baby, we can't be in here too long, I've got this whole day planned out for us." He laughed half-heartedly, but she knew it wasn't a joke. Of course he would have planned the day, it was what he always did. It would probably be something cliché like going to the cinema where they'd see some sort of creepy horror in the hopes that she would cling to him through the entire film. After that he would take her to a restaurant where he would order for them both. She just hoped he would remember she didn't like tomatoes. He was completely predictable, the complete opposite of James…and the Marauders of course.

She was pulled out of her thoughts when she realised the waiter had arrived. The largest mug of hot chocolate she had ever seen was placed in front of her.

"The sweetest mug for the sweetest lady," A familiar voice said from above her. She glanced upwards, meeting James' eyes, the writing on his head covered by his messy black hair. She resisted the urge to reach up and brush it out of his eyes. James turned his attention to Simon, "and for you sir, the fat free one. Good choice if I do say so myself, but if you don't mind me saying, I don't know how helpful it will be. Enjoy your drinks." Winking at Lily, he turned and walked away quickly. Looking at Simon's shocked face she stifled a giggle. "I think this one's yours."

She swapped the mugs around and quickly took a sip from the smaller one now sitting in front of her. It tasted nicer than she thought it would. She shifted her eyes towards the kitchen entrance where she could see the Marauders staring intently at Simon, all wearing identical grins. Sirius met her gaze and gave her the thumbs up. She returned her attention to Simon, who was looking at his drink with an odd expression on his face.

"This tastes very different to last year..." He trailed off, suddenly catching sight of his reflection. Lily could only stare as his hair began to change colours until it finally settled on a shocking pink. She looked back at the Marauders who were all leaning against each other, silently laughing at the sight before them, tears streaming down their faces. She noted that the café had fallen into a stunned state of silence and everyone had turned to look at them.

Simon's face flushed red, clashing horribly with his hair. _Well at least now he matches the decorations_ Lily thought, smiling slightly.

"Come on" she said, grabbing his arm and pulling him out of the now silent café. "Let's to the cinema. It doesn't matter that we're early." She stated as if it were the most obvious thing.

"How did you know that's where we were going?" He asked, confused as to how accurate she was.

"Just a lucky guess" she responded quickly._ It is kind of obvious_ she thought rolling her eyes "Plus no-one will be able to see you in there."

Ushering him out of the door she turned back to roll her eyes at the Marauders, noticing a mob of girls walking, or rather sprinting, up the street, weaving in and out of the shops on their way, their eyes darting everywhere. She smiled at their ingenuity as she read their tops, _**Official Marauder Mob**_ was boldly printed across the front.

"You better run." She mouthed to the Marauders before turning and, placing her fingers in her mouth, giving a loud whistle. The attention of the mob was immediately drawn to her.

She gestured into the coffee shop and took a step away from the door. The mob immediately headed towards her. She glanced inside seeing all the Marauders visibly pale. She gave them a small smile, "Good Luck" she mouthed turning away from them and, grabbing Simon's hand, started to head towards the cinema.

* * *

It was 10 minutes into the film and Lily was bored. The supposed horror that they were watching contained really poor graphics. She'd seen better muggle films, in her time. The bucket of popcorn they were sharing was already half empty, Lily had eaten virtually none of it. Every time she had reached towards the bucket Simon had started tutting or coughing suggestively.

The eerie music coming from the film was really starting to annoy her and she wanted nothing more than to be able to stand up and walk out. _That would leave me dateless on Valentine's Day though_ she thought _and Simon's not that bad a guy._ She tried to focus on what was happening on screen but she found her mind wandering, wandering to a pair of (blue) eyes and messy black hair.

A piercing scream from the film made Simon jump and spill the drink he had been holding, over his lap. Lily barely stifled a giggle and returned her attention to the screen.

"Are you sure it's not too scary for you?" Simon whispered in her ear, a pleading look in his eyes.

"Not at all," Lily replied. She saw Simon's eyes widen in shock.

"Oh…um…OK, I was just wondering…" He tailed off as a person from behind starting making tutting sounds and shushing them. Lily saw him redden in the dark and turn his attention back to the screen.

The film began to get boring, even the screams were few and far between now. Lily saw Simon shift next to her, giving what was obviously a fake yawn. He stretched and placed his arm around Lily's shoulder. She stiffened momentarily, _how cliché_ she thought, before deciding that she may as well go with the flow and relaxed into him.

Sniggering erupted from behind them and Lily felt, what was almost definitely popcorn, bouncing off the back of their heads.

"Idiots" she muttered, turning around to glare at them.

As she opened her mouth to speak a piece off popcorn landed in it.

"WOO! Score!" she smiled slightly as she recognised the voice. She ate the piece of popcorn and grinned at the Marauders sitting a few rows back.

"Stop it," she whispered to them, earning a confused look from Simon. They all just grinned and waved back at her. She returned to the film, soon remembering why she had stopped watching it.

After a few minutes she saw a flash of something out of the corner of her eye, she turned, just in time to see another piece of popcorn hit Simon's head. She knew he wasn't going to go up against the Marauders so she turned round again to see that they had moved to only two seats behind where Lily sat.

She rolled her eyes and turned back to Simon. She looked over at him, only to see him watching a couple towards the front of the cinema. They we engrossed in each other. Lily elbowed Simon in the ribs and met his eyes. He had returned to his confident self and it seemed he had stopped watching the film a while ago. He grinned at her winking at the same time. It looked like it took a lot more effort than James' sly wink and grin. It didn't make her smile or butterflies swirl round her st--. _NO!_ She stopped the trail of thought. _I must not be thinking of James right now._ She scolded herself. _Even if he is only sitting a few seats behind me…_She was brought out of her mental ramblings but Simon shifting his arm on her shoulder. She thought nothing of it until she felt him leaning towards her and his arm sneaking further round her shoulders. She glanced over at him to see him biting his lip in concentration. She felt his hand slide closer to her chest.

She tensed and felt herself start to panic. _Help!_

"I think I want some more…coke." Lily said standing up quickly. "Can I get you anything?" she asked, without waiting for an answer, she turned and staggered into the foyer. Out of the darkened cinema Lily leant against the wall, closed her eyes and breathed deeply in the hopes of calming herself down.

She came back in a few minutes later and was not surprised to see that the Marauders had kept Simon 'company' while she was away. She stood in the entrances studying them before they turned and noticed her.

Simon's pink hair, hardly noticeable in the dim lighting, was frozen in place staring straight ahead. She couldn't see his face. However his body language gave him the impression of being slightly…worried. She looked to the Marauders for confirmation. Sirius was sat next to Simon emitting smugness and watching the film.

_Something must have happened,_ she thought. Sitting on Simon's other side, in her seat, was James. She could only really see the back of his head but her mind automatically conjured up the image of his face. She could imagine him sitting there with a grin to match the one Sirius so obviously wore. Remus and Peter were sat either side of the Marauders, both giving the impression of trying to contain laughter.

Lily's eyes automatically drifted back to James as she just stood and watched for a while feeling much more relaxed knowing the Marauders had her back.

She watched as James' head turned slowly and his eyes met hers. He winked and nodded his head in a beckoning motion. The butterflies in her stomach exploded for a second before she squashed them and wandered back down the aisle, coke in hand towards the group.

Simon looked over and gave her a relieved smile. Her own smile slipped off her face and she looked down. She stood between Simon and James, giving them a look that said ever so plainly that one of them was going to have to move.

"Oi you!" A shouted whisper from the back rang out above the eerily annoying music, "Sit down" it demanded.  
"Well which of you is going to be the gentleman?" Lily questioned, cocking an eyebrow. James just grinned at her and cocked an eyebrow in response. The writing on his head, only just visible in the gloom, still flashing faintly.

In an instant James' arm was round her waist and he had pulled her onto his lap. "Better?" he questioned, whispering in her ear and sending a shiver down her back. _Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, ye…NO don't think that...no matter how much you want it_, she scolded herself.

Lily caught sight of Simon. His mouth was open and he was staring at Lily his mouth opening and closing in silence, like a fish out of water. Before she was done wondering how to get herself out of this predicament, before she lost the will to move, Simon leaned over.

"Lily do you think that's the most appropriate thing to be doing? Sitting on _his_lap." From the other side of Simon she could hear muffled sniggers.

"Sorry," James muttered and stood up. Placing Lily in her seat before sitting down on Remus' lap. She had to stop herself from sighing. She was distracted from her thoughts as Sirius leaned across Simon and herself.

"Oi mate, do you really think that's the most appropriate thing to be doing? Sitting on _his_ lap." At this everyone but Simon lost it. They were rolling in their seats laughing when an usher approached them.

"Excuse me, but if you can't be quiet I'm going to have to ask you to leave" he whispered loudly. Their laughing reduced to muffled giggles, silent tears streaming down their faces. Simon glared disapprovingly at the Marauders before leaning into Lily and whispering in her ear, "Why don't we get out of here, we could…" At this point Lily reached beside her and grabbed James' leg, to stop herself from hitting Simon.

Beside her she felt James jump and lean towards her. "Why, Lily I never knew you felt that way about me." His joking tone was laced with something more serious. She shivered at the change in the tone of his voice and blushed a deep red, quickly removing her hand from his leg. Simon who had been talking in her other ear, smiled proudly and leaned back in his seat.

Her attention was returned to Simon, who was fidgeting and kept looking over at her. He nodded to her, cocking an eyebrow in question. Slightly confused she nodded back wondering if that was the response he desired. He stopped fidgeting instantly and stood up, grabbing her hand and pulling her up with him. "Sorry gentlemen but my lady and I must be off." _His Lady? _She thought while allowing herself to be dragged out of the cinema. Passing the Marauder Mob who seemed to be surrounding the cinema, ready to ambush the boys when they exited, Simon whispered in her ear before turning her to face the castle and pushing her gently towards the entrance.

"I'll see you at 5 then my dear!" He called after her as she ambled off wondering why on earth she hadn't objected...she hated dancing.

* * *

Lily was walking back to school desperately wondering what on earth she was going to wear. 'Something Classy' he had suggested -_ how cliché, _She rolled her eyes while walking, _and not particularly helpful _a small voice in the back of her mind piped up. The only mystery left was which of the restaurants in town he would take her to, but she had a pretty good idea of which one it would be. _The Jazz Club. _Simon hadn't stopped talking about it since it's opening two months ago.

As she rounded the corner she saw Sirius and James, sprinting back from the cinema, coming full pelt towards her followed by a screaming mob of girls. She chuckled as she saw the glittering words on their heads sparkle in the sun.

She stepped off the path to let them pass. "Oh no you don't," yelled James. He grabbed her hand and dragged her along. The feel of his hand in hers made her stomach jolt, and she was pretty sure it had nothing to do with the jerk with which he had used to make her run.

She ran along beside him, keeping pace better than she had thought. As they rounded a corner Sirius grabbed James and dived into a large bush, taking Lily with them.

She landed awkwardly, sprawled across James who had so kindly taken the impact of their fall. She felt two arms wrap around her waist and she stayed still for a second, revelling in the sensation. She went to move but Sirius gestured at her to stay still and be quiet, she nodded and rested her head back on James' chest. She glanced up to see him with his head tilted back. A small smile playing about his lips. She couldn't help laying her head back on his chest and seeing him as...him.

They froze as the mob approached their hiding place. She felt James' arms tighten around her and then relax as the mob moved past them. A few minutes passed before Remus stuck his head in the bush, making them all jump. "You guys comfy there?" He asked, Lily blushed and made to move but James just held on to her.

"Yes thanks," he replied, "Are they gone?"

"No, I just decided to stick my head in this bush and keep you occupied while they set traps up around you." Remus rolled his eyes and held out a hand for Lily. She smiled back at James before pulling back and rising to her feet with Remus' aid.

Sirius climbed out next, pausing thoughtfully, as his stomach gave a loud growl. "All this running's making me hungry, I vote we head to the Room of Requirement and set up camp for an hour or so."

The rest of the Marauders nodded in agreement while Lily just looked on confused. James, noticing her expression said, "Come on we'll let you in on one of our secrets." He grabbed her hand and followed the rest of the Marauders up to the castle.

* * *

Lily followed aimlessly as they paced back and forth, along the a corridor on the seventh floor, opposite a tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy trying to teach some trolls to dance. Lily could hear James muttering under his breath, "Give us a place to hide. We just need somewhere they can't find us." Lily shut her eyes. _I want an outfit._ _Something that's smart and classy. Something I'll look good in._

The sound of a door opening made her open her eyes. James was holding open the door to the room of requirement and beckoning to her to come quick. Lily smiled and walked towards him. _A true gentleman, _she thought.

She entered the room and ran straight into the back of Sirius, Remus and Peter who had stopped in the entrance, standing open mouthed at the room in front of them. Lily looked around and her mouth dropped, but for a totally different reason.

The room they had entered was full of clothes. There were thousands of outfits, in multitudes of colours and in one corner was a dressing room next to a wall full of mirrors. There was a small table of cakes in the corner which Sirius was eyeing hungrily.

Remus turned towards her with a grin on his face, "Welcome to the Room of Requirement! It has been out saviour for many years. It appears when a person has real need of it and is equipped for the seekers needs. Now, would you have anything to do with this," He said, gesturing around him, "I get the feeling this wouldn't exactly be what _we_ need."

"What?!" was about all that Peter managed before they all turned to Lily who instantly blushed.

Tops of all shapes and sizes, patterned and plain lined one of the walls. More jeans than Lily had ever seen were piled on shelves in the middle of the room, all varying in shades. Skirts of different lengths hung along another wall. On the final wall racks and racks of dresses of all types, lengths and colour. But the thing that drew Lily's attention was the colossal pile of shoes in the middle of the room.

"Well, I may have been thinking about what I could wear this evening." She defended herself, answering the look they were giving her.

James got a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Well at least it will give us something to do until we feel it safe to venture back outside," he stated as if were the most obvious thing in the world and dropped into a chair that had suddenly appeared beside him, "By all means carry on." He waved his arms in an encompassing gesture.

The Marauders mumbled a response and settled into yet more chairs, as Remus pulled out a packet of rather battered exploding snap cards, accepting that at least this was a place to hide. Lily felt strangely excited at the prospect of all the clothes and the presence of the Marauders didn't phase her at all.

She had to refrain from skipping over to the tops grabbing all the ones that took her fancy and dashed into the changing room, closing the door firmly behind her. She had never really got into the whole 'shopping' thing but with all this stuff to choose from, she just couldn't resist. She tried on the first top and looked around for a mirror, behind the curtain there was none.

She paused for a second before shrugging her shoulders and stepping out of the changing room and walking to the mirrors. She glanced at herself in the mirror. She was almost glad the Marauders were distracted. It was a little too clingy for her likings. She attempted to sneak back to the changing room, but a loud wolf whistle came from behind her.

She spun around to see the Marauders paused in their game of snap. "Looking good Lily!" Sirius yelled, winking at her. Remus was sitting there covering a struggling Peter's eyes. "Now Lily, there are children present." She couldn't bring herself to look at James' expression.

She rushed back into the changing room and tried on the next one. The next hour passed in much the same fashion, Lily raced from the changing room to the piles of clothes outside, trying on anything that took her fancy, and the Marauders commenting and giving their opinion on her various outfits. She never could bring herself to meet James' eyes. She was never one to show off, but after the first silence and what sounded like a kick when she was back behind the curtain, he always made a nice comment about what she was wearing.

After a while she suddenly realised that it had got very quiet. The sound of exploding snap the Marauders had been playing was no longer present. She cautiously stuck her head round the curtain, turning to where they were sitting and found three very innocent faces looking back at her, each of them trying to contain some sort of secret. She could see it in their eyes. Sirius was nowhere to be seen.

A crash from behind alerted her to his presence. "How on earth do you girls walk in these things?!" Sirius yelled from a crumpled heap on the floor. Lily burst out laughing. Sirius was sprawled there, in a rather tight fitting halter neck top, a short skirt and 2 inch heels, which seemed to be the reason for his collapse. A serious look came over his face.

"I know the perfect way to hide from The Mob" he announced. "They say if you want to hide something, to hide it in plain sight...So why don't we?"

* * *

Almost an hour later, after they had stopped laughing and Lily had taught Sirius, adamant that his plan would work, the art of how to walk in high heels, she came across the perfect outfit. She exited the changing room and turned towards the mirrors. _This is the one, _she thought happily. The emerald, strapless dress with oriental lace from below the bust falling straight down to her knees. **(Picture on profile)** Realising the Marauders were yet to say anything she turned to face them.

She was met by four staring faces. She suddenly felt very self-conscious. She blushed and looked down. "Please say something."

Snapping out of his daze, Sirius didn't miss a beat, "Something!" He yelled. He was promptly hit by Remus.

"Wow Lils, you look..." His mouth was moving sundlessly, searching for the right words.

"...ummm...nice." Peter offered. He was promptly hit by James.

"Don't be an idiot, she looks...breathtakingly beautiful." He sighed. Lily blushed a deeper red.

"Thanks James," she mumbled, "So I'm guessing you all approve."

"Hell Yeah!" Sirius' enthusiastic response boosted her confidence.

"Well, then we shall escort you to your evening's activities," James said offering her his arm. His eyes gleaming with a certain tenderness, more intense than it had ever been before.

As Lily was about to take James' arm, Sirius stepped between them. "Excuse me but I thought I was meant to be your date for the evening." He said in a worryingly high voice, taking James' arm in his own.

Lily laughed as Sirius dragged James out of the room. As she was about to step forwards Remus appeared at her side and offered her his arm. "I know I'm not James but how can I pass up the chance to escort a beautiful lady to her date." He smiled at her and she gratefully accepted his arm as they followed the long black hair Sirius had adopted back through the castle.

* * *

The Marauders had laughed constantly on their journey back to Hogsmeade. James had decided to test out Sirius' disguise and had introduced 'her' to everyone they had passed. The latest of which had been Headmaster Dippet.

James had turned round and winked at Lily before yelling loudly, "Headmaster!" Lily had almost hid in the bush from embarrassment, she was afraid the Headmaster would not find their little joke funny. Dippet had paused before them and been introduced to 'Siriana Pink', James' Scandinavian girlfriend. The Headmaster's eyes had twinkled with mirth as he shook 'her' hand and introduced himself. He politely asked the whereabouts of Mr Black and James then announced that Sirius had gone to Scandinavia for the weekend to find himself a woman as attractive as his 'Siri'. The Headmaster wished them a pleasant evening and carried on towards the castle chuckling to himself. Lily was amazed the Headmaster had played along so graciously. Her heart was beating out of her chest from nerves…Or maybe it was that wink? Her mind so thoughtfully added.

Halfway there, Sirius had decided that he no longer wanted to be James' date and announced very loudly that he was sorry for leading James on but had decided that he had fallen in love with Remus. At this, James replied that 'Siri' was terrible in bed and he was going to dump her anyway.

Lily would have been on the floor laughing if Remus hadn't been holding her up. He took advantage of her unstable state and before she could realise what was happening, Remus had pushed her into James' arms and announced he and 'Siri' were running away to elope and taking Peter with them to be their bridesmaid. Peter looked terrified before he was grabbed by Remus who was chasing after 'Siri'', dancing down the street singing 'I'm getting married in the morning' in his normal voice, before remembering he was meant to be a woman and singing soprano.

James and Lily were left watching their friends running down the street informing everyone they met they were going to be married before dawn. Lily hadn't noticed almost all her weight was leant against James and as he turned towards her, they both toppled over, her landing on top of him. "This seems to be happening quite often, Miss Evans, I hope you're intending to make this a regular occurrence."

Lily blushed and averted her gaze. _If only..._she thought to herself. She rolled off him and watched as he climbed to his feet before offering her his hand. "Why thank you Mr. Potter." She giggled, grabbing his hand. He tugged her to her feet, a little too enthusiactically, causing her to stagger ungracefully into him, the heels not helping her balance. His arms had wrapped around her, stopping them returning to the floor. She found herslef pressed against his chest. She was close enough she could feel his firm chest beneath her palms. Glancing up into his eyes, she saw the same emotion as in the Room of Requirement there. She shivered but knew it had nothing to do with the cool breeze that was lifting strands of her hair to tickle her face and make her dress brush lightly against the back of her knees.

Lost in her senses, it took her a while to notice James was calling her name. Glancing up again and noticing his concerned gaze, she smiled at him and focused on the words he was saying as opposed to the soft looking lips that were saying them. "Lils? Are you cold?" Without waiting for a reply, he slid out of his jacket, slipping it round her shoulders in one smooth motion. "Come on, we can't make you late for your...cough...date." Lily nodded, stunned to silence as her gaze fell back to his chest, now only covered by a fitted black shirt. She caught herself quickly before her jaw hit the floor. She had always had a thing for a guy in black shirts..._white ties too! _her mind added helpfully. She felt the weight of his gaze, waiting for her to move. She grudgingly stepped out of his embrace and started to walk down the path, towards Hogsmeade, and her..cough...date.

A few seconds later she felt James arm slip round her shoulders. She shivered again. James chuckled leaning down to whisper in her ear, "Now now Lily, I'm starting to think all this shivering may have something to do with me...would I be right?" She laughed, rolling her eyes,  
"In your dreams Potter."_ in mine too_...her mind tagged on.

The rest of the journey was made in a comfortable silence. They could see Remus and 'Siri' ahead of them, skipping and laughing like newly weds. _Quite appropriate really_..._or not._ 'Siri' had dragged Remus back to join the group, Peter also appearing from somewhere, so they arrived outside the Jazz Club as a group. Simon was waiting for them, checking his watch more times than necessary as they were walking towards him. 'Siri' ran up to him first, announcing their arrival, with a "Cooie!" Simon looked like he wanted to run away but held his groud as he saw Lily just up the road. He waved them over. "Lily, you look...cold. You should have brought a coat," he eyed James' jacket disapprovingly, "Your own coat." He added in an undertone. Lily ignored him. Turning to James, she slid his jacket off her shoulders. "Thanks." She gave him a small smile and allowed Simon to lead her into the building.

* * *

Simon had taken the liberty of pre-ordering their food. It had taken an eternity to arrive and once it had, she found herself thinking again..._how cliché..._Spaghetti bolognaise with meatballs. Large enough for them to share. Lily had begun to tuck in when she had realised he had ordered extra tomatoes. She hated tomatoes and, trying to keep to the spaghetti which was harder than it seemed, her ears picked up Remus' voice from the table behind them.

"So, fancy dancing, oh love of my life?" He asked Sirius.

"Oh, Object of my desires, I would love to!" Sirius replied taking Remus' arm and letting himself be lead onto the dance floor.

Lily couldn't help but smile as she watched them head for the floor. They had been in here for well over an hour and Simon had yet to ask her to dance. She sipped her drink and sighed. James appeared behind her, resting his hand on her shoulder, "Would you care to dance?" he asked, looking down at her, where she sat in stunned silence.

Simon coughed meaningfully. "Well," James continued, "You've been sitting here for the last hour and I just thought maybe you were lacking in the dancing department so thought I'd save you the embarassment of having to explain it." James grinned at him.

"Well, I just thought it would be better for Lily if she let her dinner go down first, I'll have you know I'm an excellent dancer!" Simon replied huffily, standing up and glaring at James. Lly was secretly glad to see James had the height advantage over Simon. His gaze suddenly shifted to the door behind James as seconds later it flew open with a bang and The Marauder Mob (a gang of screaming girls) entered the club. "Why don't you ask one of _them _to dance?" Simon said smartly.

By this time, everyone had turned to face the doors where the Mob was slowly filing in. The lead few had settled their eyes on the Marauders and were getting closer. James winked down at Lily before turning with his arms held up in surrender and a well practiced, utterly innocent expression on his face. Sirius and Remus had returned from the dance floor with matching worried expressions. Remus whispered to them, "Sorry guys, they're not after me," and slid into a chair next to Simon, who had sat down, effectively trapping him in place. Remus started tucking into the left over bolognaise whilst Simon looked at him incredulously, "What?" Remus exclaimed, "I like bolognaise!". Simon just shook his head and returned his attention to the scene that was unfolding before them.

The Mob had stopped dead, forming a barrier between the Marauders and the door. James was trying to talk himself out of the situation.

"Now now Ladies...and gentleman...wait no, sorry, you're just trying to get in." The Mob split to let a bemused looking Frank Longbottom through. "Ha, sorry Frank mate." James was starting to look desperate, but Lily could see in the way he stood that he had a plan. "Ladies, this has been fun, but I have to tell you I'm already taken." Lily's heart skipped a beat. _James was going out with someone, how could she not know this?..._His voice broke into her thoughts. "Yes, yes, I know you're all surprised," he paused, "and just so you all know this isn't one of our famous tricks to escape, even though I don't know any man would even think of running away from any of you beautiful ladies..." he offered them a cheeky grin before turning round and pulling Lily to her feet. He wrapped his arms around her, his eyes meeting hers before pulling her closer and covering her lips with his own.

An audible gasp was heard throughout the room, followed closely by a round of catcalls and the sound of a few dozen girls bursting into tears. The kiss ended too soon for Lily's liking as James was jerked suddenly backwards, away from her. _What idiot broke up that perfectly romantic, beautiful, heavenly...wait, why is Sirius getting closer?_

This thought brought her back to realiy just in time to hear Sirius declare that James was a liar and Lily was his. She had no time to panic as Sirus swept her into his arms and placed a firm kiss on her lips. The silence this time was complete. The only sound was Remus coughing in the background. The Mob stood, frozen in place, stunned by the spectacle before them. Sirius grinned guiltily at Lily and placed her unsteadily back on her feet before pulling her into a hug. He whispered in her ear, "Thanks Lils, What are friends for eh?"

He released her and she would have stumbled but a pair of muscular arms wrapped around her waist. She felt herself be pressed back into a strong chest and glanced upwards to see James staring at Sirius with a slightly annoyed look on his face. Sirius just shrugged and whacked Remus on the back where he had been choking on the bolognaise. "Coem on mate, Let's get out of here and leave these love birds alone." Lily blushed at this and Remus looked longingly at the rest of the food. "Come on, We'll visit the kitchens on our way back." Remus nodded and he and Sirius grabbed Peter and slipped round the sea of sad faces.

Lily was still blushing as she watched them leave. "Would you care to take a walk with me?" She heard a deep voice whisper in her ear. She nodded speechlessly and turned to go before a spluttering Simon caught her attention. "Wait, you can't just leave me here dateless!" he exclaimed.

"Well, lucky for you you happen to be in the presence of one of the men who can solve any problem. This one may need an input from the talented little witch here." Lily looked up suddenly worried as James turned to address the crowd, "Ladies, I believe you are in luck this evening. Due to various events, Simon here has found himself dateless for the night and has graciously volunteered to take over from Sirius and I," The sea of faces lit up while Simon just stood there speechless, "So if Lily here would do the honours." Lily looked up confused. James gestured with his eyes towards his forehead and she suddenly understood. She pulled out her wand and transferred the flashing letters from James' head to Simon's. "Have fun girls!" James grabbed Lily and pulled her to the side as The Mob came down on Simon. They both started laughing and stumbled back into the street, now only lit by festive pink lanterns.

"Would you care for that walk now Miss Lily?" James turned to her and asked, offering his arm. She blushed again and had to supress a giggle as she linked her arm through his as they started towards the castle. Lily shivered, it was colder than earlier and she was, once again, lacking a coat. James noticed this and released her arm to slip out of his. She spluttered an objection and that he would be cold but he ignored her, wrapping his coat round her shoulders before pulling her close to his side. "We'll just have to share body heat then, won't we then?"

She smiled again, pulling the jacket tighter around her and curling closer into James' side. She heard his voice in her ear, "Seeing as you didn't hit me earlier, i'll take it that i'm not a bad kisser?"

Lily blushed again and being bold said, "Well, it didn't really last long enough for me to make an informed decision." James had stopped walking and turned her to face him.

"I think we'll have to do something about that then Miss Evans." He came closer to her much slower than the rush of the club. She felt the sparks as his lips gently pressed against hers. He pulled away all too soon for her liking, "How was that?" He asked her softly. She just hmmmed in respose.

"Still not long enough."

He hmmmed back and pulled her closer again before whispering in her ear, "We'll just have to get some practice in then." She looked up to see him looking down at her with the undescribable emotion still in his eyes. "Dance with me?" He asked almost silently.

She nodded and allowed him to bring her hand us as the other slowly reached around her back, getting rid of what little space was between them. He started moving them slowly on the spot. Their eyes never left each others as snow started to fall around them. Neither seemed to be in any hurry to go anywhere.

Dancing in the middle of the street to music only they could hear, James brought his lips back to hers. The last thing she thought before their lips met was _maybe Cliché isn't so bad if you've got the perfect guy...how cliché. _


End file.
